From Scratch

So I've officially made my first from-scratch dish while at college.  What did I make?

Hm... Let's see...

Well, it involved a whole-lotta tomatoes!

So what was it?  Soup?  Salsa?  Something else?

..................

Tomato sauce!

*doh* I just realized that I never took a picture of the finished product (as in arranged nicely on a plate).  There were also green beans in a lemon-butter sauce and a salad of micro greens (arugula and mustard greens) with a tomato/honey mustard dressing, neither of which I have pictures of.  Oh well.  All I can say is "please imagine some pictures of the aforementioned items."

Ingredients:

    (Sauce)

• 5 cups fresh (or canned) tomatoes
• 1/3 fresh basil (julienned)
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp. thyme
• 3-4 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 (or more/less to taste) red chili flakes
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 box pasta (any kind)

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    (Beans)

• 1/2 lb. green beans 
• 2-3 tbsp. (or thereabouts) butter
• 2 tsp. thyme
• juice of 1 small-medium lemon
• salt to taste   

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    (Salad)

• 2 1/2 cups assorted micro greens (any kind)
• 1/4 tomatoes (*fresh) - diced or minced
• dressing of choice

Directions:

    (Sauce)

1. Bring oil to temperature (high heat) in a good sized soup pot or sauce pan.
2. Cut tomatoes (if using fresh) into thin slices.  Add them to the hot oil.
3. Let tomatoes sauté on their own for about 10 minutes, or until it starts to look like the beginning of a chunky tomato soup - whichever comes first.
4. Add salt, red chili flakes, thyme, and basil.  Mix well.
5. Reduce heat to medium, and allow sauce to simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (it usually takes me about 45 minutes).
6. After sauce has simmered, add cheese.
7. **Somewhere towards the end of step #5, begin to cook the pasta.

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    (Beans)

1. Trim the ends off of your green beans, and boil them in salted water until they reach a vibrant green color.
2. Drain water (as much as possible) from beans, and return to pot.
3. Add butter, lemon juice, thyme, and salt to the green beans, and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

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    (Salad)

     ***self-explanatory :)